Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on September 15

We’re keeping track of the latest news regarding the coronavirus in South Florida and around the state. Check back for updates throughout the day.

Students might return to classrooms in October, Broward superintendent says

2 p.m.: Broward County Public Schools could resume in-person learning as soon as Oct. 5.

Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie announced during a virtual School Board meeting Tuesday morning he plans to recommend that date to school board members as the right time to reopen brick and mortar schools.

Gov. Ron DeSantis authorized Miami-Dade and Broward counties to enter Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan last Friday, clearing the path for students and teachers to return to face-to-face teaching.

Read the full story here.

Keys public schools welcome all students who want to come back to the classroom

1:25 p.m.: Public schools in the Florida Keys fully reopened Monday to students who wanted to return to the classroom.

With face masks, markers denoting proper social distancing, many kids eating in classrooms instead of cafeterias and a host of other safety protocols, there were plenty of kids on campus, school district officials said.

“The schools were full today,” said Monroe County Schools Superintendent Theresa Axford. “I was at Gerald Adams, Poinciana School and Horace O’Bryant. All the kids have their masks on. Everybody is six-foot social distancing. The markings in the schools are amazing.”

Read the full story here.

No jobs, no safety nets: Undocumented workers ‘completely adrift’ as crisis persists

12:10 p.m.: In the waning days of August, Elia had enough money to either pay for next month’s rent or cover back-to-school expenses for her two teenage children. But not both.

It was the latest in a long line of financial dilemmas that Elia, an undocumented domestic worker from Mexico, has faced since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in March decimated her client list. Clients, she explained, discontinued her cleaning services because they worried about her bringing the virus into their homes.

The ensuing belt-tightening has been severe.

“The first thing that you stop buying are personal items. My kids and I, we are making do with what we already have,” said Elia, who asked to withhold her full name for fear of reprisal. “No new clothes, no new shoes. There’s no money for that.”

While more than 3.7 million Floridians have received unemployment assistance and more than 100,000 Florida businesses received Paycheck Protection Program aid, undocumented workers like Elia have been scrambling to survive.

Immigrants without legal status have not received the $1,200 stimulus checks that the federal government sent out as part of the CARES Act, a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package passed in March.

Other key support programs — including the state’s SNAP food stamps program, which has seen one million new enrollees since the pandemic began — are also off limits.

Read the full story here.

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Zoo Miami reopens with new COVID-19 rules in place

9:30 a.m.: The animals are ready to see you now.

Zoo Miami, which closed July 4 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now set to reopen Tuesday with new rules for social distancing.

First of all, don’t just show up. You need to buy tickets ahead of time online, as there will be a daily limited capacity of visitors. There are other changes you can expect, from mask requirements to how food is ordered.

Learn more here.

Miami-Dade, Broward enter Phase 2 as bars across the state reopen

9:30 a.m.: Miami-Dade and Broward County finally entered Phase 2 Monday as bars across the state reopened at limited capacity after months of closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This doesn’t mean you can watch the next game at a South Florida bar with your friends, eating chicken wings and enjoying a cool beer. Bars in Miami-Dade and Broward will remain closed until further notice. So will bars in Palm Beach County. You don’t have to drive too far to sit back and enjoy a beer however, bars reopened in the Keys.

Halsey Beshears, the secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, gave the OK on Twitter Thursday evening for Florida bars to reopen at 50% capacity Monday. A day later, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Miami-Dade and Broward county, the state’s two hardest hit areas throughout the pandemic, would also be allowed to enter Phase 2 because of a downward trend in COVID-19 cases.

What does this mean?

While there won’t be any big changes in Broward right now, Miami-Dade is looking at opening movie theaters, arcades and other select entertainment venues with new social distancing guidelines in place. Miami-Dade and Broward public schools might also open for in-person learning sooner.

CATCH UP TO START THE DAY

9:30 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Tuesday begins.

▪ Florida sees lowest single-day count since June as death toll runs past 12,600

▪ University of Miami makes COVID-19 tests a requirement for students on campus

▪ Veteran Palm Beach Sheriff deputy dies from COVID-19 after more than a decade of service